London Song of the Day: You owe me five farthings ("Oranges and Lemons")

I don't only listen to classical guitar and pop music on my iPod. An extensive part of my London playlists are jingles, pick-ups and announcements recorded from the BBC and London's Capital Radio: little introductions or interstitials, some only a few seconds long, that are fun little peanuts in the candied popcorn that is the Cracker Jack of a good playlist. Put your iPod on shuffle and you never know when you get a cheery bouncy Radio 1 jingle or a Kenny Everett announcement.

Many of these I've complied through some excellent websites like Radio Rewind and TV & Radio Bits, some through trading with other collectors, others recorded straight off the radio or internet and digitized into MP3s. Among the many jingles and announcements you'll occasionally find a straight-out actual musical tune, like the BBC World Service's "Lilliburlero" or Radio Four's elaborately patriotic "Radio 4 UK Theme." But by far my favorite is the BBC version of the classic London ballad "Orange and Lemons."

"Oranges and lemons", say the bells of St. Clement's
"You owe me five farthings", say the bells of St. Martin's
"When will you pay me?" say the bells of Old Bailey
"When I grow rich", say the bells of Shoreditch
"When will that be?" say the bells of Stepney
"I do not know", says the great bell of Bow
Here comes a candle to light you to bed
And here comes a chopper to chop off your head!

Instead of a chopper, however, what you were likely to get in your head was the BBC Morning News, because "Oranges and Lemons" was the opening signature tune of the BBC Light Programme, the BBC radio network that spotlighted light music, variety comedy and dramatized plays. If you're a fan of The Goon Show like me, you'll remember that Wallace Greenslade often began the show with the announcement "This is the BBC Light Programme." (depending on the transcribed version of the episode). The song didn't spring full-fledged at the creation of the Light Programme following WWII, of course: it's a traditional song from possibly as far back as the seventeenth century. Its lyrics suggest it has origins as a nursery rhyme (with a macabre ending similar to "Ring Around the Rosy."

But what's all that got to do with London, and what are all those bells the lyrics are talking about? Each of the lines refers to a specific church of its time in the City of London proper, and what the bells are "saying" is supposed to reflect in cadence and rhythm what their church bells sounded like when rung. Truth? Fantasy? Great urban legend? I don't know much more, but I do know this: the song has become so identified with London itself that now the bells of St. Clement Church in Eastcheap (pictured here) actually do play the tune of the entire song. I bet the other churches are green with jealousy.

I have a few versions of "Oranges and Lemons" on my iPod and my London playlists, but my favorite is what seems to be a Novachord synthesizer organ version (I'm less sure about my music history than I am about my BBC awareness). There's a wonderful moment about three-quarters of the way through both segments (the main theme repeats itself) where the music swells and builds and rises, and to me it's the perfect London song that describes the way I feel when I step out into the London streets: great overwhelming joy and orchestral, almost filmic-quality emotion. You could almost see the camera pull back on a wide crane shot as that music builds and you can see a little stuffed bull stretch out his arms and throw back his head and just take in the glory and grandeur of his favorite city in the word. Close your eyes and let's give it a listen, shall we? Oh wait...open your eyes again, click on this link to listen to this version of "Oranges and Lemons," and now close your eyes. (Open 'em again when it's finished, okay? See you then.)

Wasn't that lovely?

Here's a link to a choral version of "Oranges and Lemons" so you can hear the words, and for extra-credit background, here's an excellent article from the BBC's H2G2 wikiwebsite on the history and meaning of the tune.



Other songs in heavy rotation on my London playlists today (links will open in iTunes, unless you don't have iTunes, in which case they won't.):

"Lilliburlero" (signature tune to the BBC World Service)
"Eastenders Theme" from the album BBC World of Sound
"London Loves" by Blur, from the album Parklife
"Someone in London" by Godsmack, from the album Godsmack
"Swinging London" by The Pretenders, from the album Pirate Radio